Sen. McCaskill Promises To Take Pay Cut

Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri says she will take a cut in pay as a show of solidarity with those federal workers who face furloughs due to the sequester.

McCaskill and Senator Bill Nelson of Florida have proposed a bill that would reduce congressional salaries once the furloughs begin. McCaskill says she wants to hold lawmakers accountable for not coming up with an alternative to the sequester as a means of cutting federal spending.

"I think it’s important that those of us who can’t get an agreement about a more thoughtful way to impose cuts, that we should feel some of that pain, too," McCaskill told reporters this week.

McCaskill says if her bill fails -- or fails to get a vote -- she will voluntarily take a cut in her pay in proportion to federal workers who face salary reductions due to furloughs.